Our office is closed for Christmas from December 20-January 8. Please begin the process outlined below. Our team will contact you when we are back in the office.
We receive a steady number of inquiries from families who wish to switch to homeschooling after the funding cut-off, and are pleased to note that WISDOM still has student spots available for the 24-25 school year.
To join us for the remainder of this school year, please complete:
- one Family Form
- a Notification Form for each child you wish to home educate at this time
- a picture or scan of each child’s Canadian Birth Certificate (or proof of Canadian Citizenship)
- a draft of an Education Program Plan for each child (we will help you refine this in the weeks to come)
- a brief letter explaining your need to home educate at this time
Please upload documents to us via our secure document submitter.
What's next? Note: You may keep your child home from school during this process.
- Our team will review your application and contact you.
- Once your application has been accepted, we will contact your child's former school to let them know that your student is with us.
- We will send you a Provisional Acceptance letter.
- You will begin home educating, based on your draft education program plan.
- We will match your family with a home school facilitator.
- Your facilitator will help you finalize your plan and approve it.
- We will send an Official Acceptance letter to you.
The forms are fairly straightforward, though one common question on the Notification Form is regarding the Declaration by Parent (Part B), and the two checkboxes below. If you check the first box, you indicate that you will be using Alberta Curriculum at home, fulfilling all of the same outcomes as you would in school. The second option (most used by home educators) means that you will be creating your own plan for your child, using curriculum that suits your goals and your child's learning style. You may view the Schedule of Learning Outcomes here.
We are here to help you! Give us a call and, during business hours, one of our Home School Consultants will assist you with this process, answer any questions you may have and help you get your notification submitted.
Note: Prior to the funding deadline each year, we encourage enrollments via our Parent Portal. After the funding deadline, we close the portal for digital notification, and utilize the process above.
If you have further questions after reading through these, don’t hesitate to join an information session, call the WISDOM Office at 780-741-2113, or use the chat function below.
Q. What is Home Schooling?
Q. What is (Parent-Delivered) Home Schooling? (What are the different types of home schooling?)
Q. Why do families home school?
Q. Are parents qualified to teach their children?
Q. Is home schooling legal?
Q. How much time does it take?
Q. How can we teach several children at once?
Q. What about socialization?
Q. What about my child's special interests?
Q. Can Home Schoolers get a high school diploma and attend university or college?
Q. What materials are available?
Q. What methods should I use?
Q. What about children with special needs?
Q. How does WISDOM receive, divide - and use - educational funding grants?
Q. How do we get started home schooling?
Parent Portal Questions
The following questions will take you to a page just for questions about the Parent Portal.
Q. Are we obligated to create and use this portal for our family? I prefer to keep my personal info out of 'clouds' and other servers.
Q. How will I access student information?
Q. Does this give AB Education access to our Education Program Plans (EPPs)?
Q. Which option we pick for the declaration of outcomes?
Q. We will not be returning to WISDOM Home Schooling (The Gilbertine Academy S2338) for this coming school year. Do we still need an account?
A. With parenthood comes the responsibility of educating our children. We begin teaching from the very first day, helping our children to find security in us; and then throughout their early years teaching them to walk, speak, feed themselves, toilet train, along with the myriad of life skills a young child comes to know. Reading, writing, numbers, science, and social studies are no harder to teach, and up until the last century, the home was the environment where these skills were taught. Schools as we know them were established primarily out of charity toward the children of illiterate parents. The methods employed in teaching children at home differ substantially from those required in a classroom and generally tend to be more informal and open-ended. Rather than organizing their time around managing a classroom, home schoolers focus upon individual student strengths and weaknesses and organize each day around making the most of the learning opportunities at hand. Home schooling is not merely school at home; it is a way of life.
Q. What is (Parent-Delivered) Home Schooling? (What are the different types of home schooling?)
A. The term used by the Alberta Department of Education to describe traditional home schooling is “Home Education.” Parents who “home educate” retain full authority to plan and provide schooling to their children. Parents have the right to teach according to their faith, goals, and time-lines; free to follow their vision rather than the vision of someone outside of their home.
In a “Shared Responsibility" program, the parents teach part of the program, and a school teaches the remainder. On-line schooling is considered a school-delivered program, with the school taking responsibility for the content, scheduling, and grading of the student. Fully school-delivered programs generate full funding for the associate board, and the parents have little to no input into what is being taught.
WISDOM has seen the success that results from full parental control of home schooling and affirms the parents' right to teach their own children. Unfortunately, parents often lose confidence in their own abilities once they have deferred to a school to provide the at-home education to their children. Many students in school-delivered at-home programs find themselves back in school within a few years. This contributes to WISDOM's decision to support only Traditional home schooling; properly speaking: only “Home Education.” We will work with you to meet your goals and fulfill your regulatory responsibility. We will assist you with program choices and other important education decisions, but we maintain that you are the primary educator, and you call the shots for your children.
For more information about different types of learning at home, such as Shared Responsibility or School-Delivered/Aligned, please click here.
Q. Why do families home school?
A. Parents make the decision not to delegate the education of their children to others but rather commit the time and energy themselves. Families have a variety of reasons for home schooling. WISDOM's founders began because they wanted to integrate their children's overall character and moral development with their education, realizing that "if their prayer life and the study of faith was not in order, education became fruitless.” Many parents who begin to home school for purely academic reasons soon find themselves growing in other areas as well. Relational problems that are less visible to parents when their children are away all day become far more evident when the family lives in close proximity day in and day out. In a homeschooling setting, parents more effectively identify and deal with these formerly obscured issues. Although family life seems more demanding in the short term, home education leads to strong relationships and renewed capacity for learning. Approaches to academics vary, but most home schooling families tend to emphasize a good, wholesome life, growing in respect for one another.
- There is opportunity to centre the daily schedule around prayer/meditation and faith study, rather than these becoming relegated to "when there's time".
- Each student's curriculum can be custom designed.
- Parents may conscientiously choose social activities.
- Parents can build in time to think, plan, explore, question; all within a safe environment.
- Schooling can be scheduled around the parent's work, family responsibilities, etc.
- Schooling can be designed to fit the learning and teaching styles of the family, some structured, some flexible, all unique to some degree.
- Communication between family members is enhanced.
- Tutorial-style education helps each child achieve their full potential.
Q. Are parents qualified to teach their children?
A. An important difference between you and a classroom teacher is the love you have for your child and the fact that your educational commitment is not one academic year, but a lifetime. These two points give you a distinct advantage, though it sometimes takes a bit of adjustment before you can make the most of this advantage. Confidence grows with experience, but a cooperative school board can shorten the time it takes to gain your feet. Research has proven that the academic achievement of parents has no bearing upon the success achieved by their home schooled children. If you can read and write, you can teach your children as effectively as can the parent with a PhD in Education. Research demonstrates that a child's academic potential is governed by factors other than the educational level of his parents. A loving parent is the nurturing ingredient that will bring a child to full potential.
Dr. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, has conducted numerous studies on the effectiveness of home schooling, demonstrating that the average home school student's academic achievement was very high. Dr. Ray says, "The tutorial method has always been the superior method for education of children. Home schooling epitomizes this method, providing the essentials for success--a close relationship between the student and teacher, motivation, flexibility, and individualization."
Several resources are available to give you the preparation and training you need:
- The Successful Homeschool Handbook, Home Grown Kids, and Better Late Than Early, by Raymond and Dorothy Moore
- The Three R's by Ruth Beechick
- How to Home School by Gayle Graham
- Educating the Whole-Hearted Child by Clay & Sally Clarkson
- Speak to at least one veteran home schooler (try the WISDOM Parent Advisory Council, if you don't know anyone who home schools).
- Home school conventions, workshops, and curriculum fairs provide practical instruction in teaching techniques unique to home instruction.
- Support groups can greatly encourage and help you through the exchange of ideas. (From the founder: "Personally, in the early years, I derived my greatest benefit by having other adults whose judgement I trusted, experience the progress my children were making. Their perspective was extremely valuable at times when I was too close to perceive how much my children had actually improved.")
A. Each province and state sets its own laws governing home education. In Alberta, if parents intend to home educate, they must notify their own resident school board, or an associate board or associate private school.
WISDOM Home Schooling is the home education department of The Gilbertine Academy, which is operated by The Gilbertine Institute, Calgary, and is operated by professionals who are personally experienced in home education. WISDOM complies with the regulations of the Education Act while helping to make home schooling easier for parents and more effective. Accountability serves to keep us organized. Look for an associate board or associate private school that has understanding and experienced staff, who can look at your family from a personal perspective.
A few home education administrations in Alberta make a point of hiring home educating facilitators and/or staff. WISDOM makes it our policy. All of our facilitators, and full time office staff, were either home educated themselves or are home educating parents.
Legislation is continually being reviewed in each province, making it important for you to work with home school organizations, especially the Alberta Home Education Association and others like it to aid the passage of favourable legislation. Constitutional rights to liberty and privacy and the free exercise of religion under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantee parental rights to educate their children according to their convictions. However, school boards have ruled inconsistently in applying these rights to home education. WISDOM helps families comply with the law without compromising integrity as parents and educators. It is important to obtain a copy of the Alberta Home Education Regulation. Many problems can be avoided by being accurately informed and by using tact and respect in dealing with authorities, or other people who don't understand home education. Consider joining the Home School Legal Defence Association of Canada. They are an excellent ally in the effort to maintain parental rights.
Q. How much time does it take?
A. Although teaching your own children does require a time commitment, it isn't as demanding as you might expect. You can achieve a great deal more in far less time than required in an institutional setting. The time required will depend upon the approach you take and the resources you use, but you will likely begin with a half to one hour, per day, for the early grades, three hours by junior high, and older children, mostly working independently, will spend up to six hours through high school. Mature students usually study music, perhaps work part-time, often read more than average and spend time preparing for post-secondary work or study. Be aware that, if you are taking more time than seems necessary, you may have imported "school" into your home. Due to the number of students in a classroom, schools attempt to teach by the use of packaged tasks or "curriculum." Fortunately, children learn more and faster if they are allowed to function in the practical world rather than just studying about it in a textbook. Parents will find that capitalizing on informal teachable moments throughout the day will allow them to avoid lenthy formal study times, especially for younger child. Above all, a balance of practical activity and good reading material forms the heart of an effective education.
Q. How can we teach several children at once?
A. Many subjects can be taught to various levels at once, demanding more complex thinking, more lucid expression, and more effective writing of the older children and less of their younger siblings. Older and younger children can gain much by learning together for the good of all (consider the excellent education received by students in one-room schoolhouses, where the more mature thought processes of older students then benefit younger students who are listening). Children who are close in age can do much of their work together. Many families find it helpful create opportunities for independent learning (reading, research, videos, crafts, worksheets, etc) for their children, and then spending focussed time with direct instruction of one child at a time.
A. Once you have home schooled a year or two you will look back at this question and say, "what was all the fuss about socialization?" Because most children in western culture spend most of their time among same-age peers, we have come to assume that this is normal. Have you ever wondered why the Creator put children in families where nobody (unless you are a multiple) is your age? The best environment within which to grow socially is a multi-age group. There is significant benefit to maturing in an environment where you must interact daily with those older and younger than you; responsible for the good of each other and learning from others at the same time (this includes the parents). Healthy relationships are best taught, demonstrated, and reinforced at home and in service to others as family outreach. As you get to know other home schoolers you will be impressed at the responsibility these children bring to their relationships. Their well-mannered confidence is a tribute to the environment their parents create. One of the greatest dangers to our children is peer dependency. It is only after years of careful formation that our children can be a testimony to others without being negatively influenced by them. The home is the environment for this careful formation. A recent US study has verified that the self-concept of home schooled children is significantly more positive than average. These young people know who they are.
Q. What about my child's special interests?
A. A wealth of experiences outside the home can supplement and enrich home education. Field trips organized by your family or in cooperation with one or more other families offer excellent opportunities to share fellowship and learning. The classroom of the world around you is the one that can teach you the most. Books are an excellent means of learning about those things the student can't access personally but, where possible, home schooling parents can immerse their children in the practical aspects of life, from pond life, to museums, to doing laundry and dishes. The internet provides a plethora of learning opportunities and resources. Other interests such as musical training and amateur sports tend to fit well in a home education schedule.
Q. Can Home Schoolers get a high school diploma and attend university or college?
A. In the USA, more than 200 institutions welcome home-educated students, not based upon official academic records, but rather upon individual merit. They are assisted by the track record established by previous home schooled students, who tend to be mature and capable of thinking for themselves, proving to be independent workers who set their own goals and schedules. Many prestigious universities (including Yale) encourage home schoolers to apply and offer admission based upon an entrance exam.
In Alberta, home schooled students may earn high school credits and graduate with an Alberta Diploma. Conversely, they can set their own criteria for graduation and finish with a WISDOM Parent Authorized Diploma. There are different entrance requirements for various post-secondary institutions, but all are attainable through home schooling. All universities and colleges (even the ones who have no policy for home schoolers) have a "special admissions" option that looks at the individual merit of an applicant and can admit anyone who can demonstrate ability. For some situations the SAT can be used for college or university entrance. Read: Homeschooling for Excellence by David and Micki Colfax. The parents did not attempt to follow a typical school curriculum, and their 3 oldest sons entered Harvard. The children enjoyed a blend of wilderness subsistence farming and good books. Also be sure to ask the WISDOM Office for a copy of our High School Information Book.
Q. What materials are available?
A. Many common textbooks are available from curriculum publishers and from other sources, offering depth and a logical order of topics. Work texts combine textbook information with exercises in consumable write-in books. Unit Studies allow a parent to integrate the teaching of values, skills, Science, and Social Studies... by following specific themes. Using a Classical Approach, children progress from memory and skills to advanced reasoning and expressive use of language. When applying the Principle Approach teachers and students keep notebooks containing Bible perspectives and principles, personal applications, and other specific information on the subject. Whatever the approach, don't forget the extreme value of good reading material & real life experiences. Once a student has learned the basics of language and numbers, abundant learning comes through reading good literature and engaging in good discussions. Remember to use those normal everyday activities like laundry, chores, music, and dishes to teach skills and character development; and great books combined with probing discussion to teach thinking.
A. Your first year will require a calculated guess. Many parents choose to simply use what their home schooling friends are using. You may not be in a position to make curriculum choices until you have actually worked with each child to discover learning style, strengths, and weaknesses, interests, and abilities. You will also discover your own teaching style, the demands upon your time, priorities, etc. Whenever possible, you will take time in your first year to talk to other home schoolers and look at resources. By the time you begin your second year, you will be more confident to make many of your schooling decisions. Don't forget to keep researching different methods of education.
Q. What about neuro-diverse children with special learning needs?
A. Neuro-diverse (ADHD, dyslexic, Asperger or Autism-spectrum, anxiety, Tourette's syndrome, and gifted) children are particularly well-served by home schooling by working at their own pace with material that is suited to their individual needs. Learning is best served in an environment where the student has a strong relationship with the teacher, and nowhere can this be achieved as effectively as within the context of the family. Consistency and discipline are the key strengths in special needs home education. Dr. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, affirms, "Research comparing home educated to public school learning disabled students found higher rates of academic engaged time, and greater academic gains were made by the home educated. ... parents, even without special education training, provided powerful instructional environments at home...." WISDOM offers parent training for teaching neuro-diverse students. (See more here.)
Q. How does WISDOM receive, divide - and use - educational funding grants?
A. For each student whose parent has given notification by September 30, we (Gilbertine Institute) receive a total grant of $1700. The parent may fund learning resources by claiming up to 50% of the total of the funds ($850), per student, per year. Alberta Education allocates the funding to the school authority at a rate of 10% per month from September through June. We make half available to parents in Fall and half in Spring. The student support portion of the funding covers facilitator and staff salaries and operational costs, as well as subsidizes additional services and supports that WISDOM provides to families.
Some families choose to not access funding, and some families choose to allocate their unclaimed funds to The Gilbertine Institute for use in the WISDOM department for family support. These families help us provide for unfunded 'rescue' families who join us throughout the school year, as well as contribute toward extra help for special needs consultation, tutoring, and family counselling.
Q. How do we get started home schooling?
A. Pray (or discern in your own way), and, if you have a spouse, agree together as team on your decision to home school. Then, set long term goals for your children, writing down what you ultimately want for them. Once you have done this you will have accomplished the most important foundational task for your home school. From there, you can work backward from these goals to decide how to structure your time and tasks right now. Above all, start simply, and avoid trying to create a typical school in your home. This isn't "school at home". This is working toward providing the best possible education for your child.
WHAT IS DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT?
Dynamic Assessment (DA) is a service offered to parents through WISDOM’s Mediated Learning Program.
As the method used is mediational, this assessment is an interactive learning assessment, not a static test. The child has opportunity to learn and use strategies while being assessed and experiences an immediate personal change in ability to think.
During the assessment the parent acts as an observer, while the trained assessor presents the child with a series of instruments (problems to solve) that allow the assessor to evaluate the way the learner overcomes difficulties. The child is gently challenged with a variety of learning situations and is mediated throughout the experience. From this process, the parents are given information about what thinking processes (cognitive functions) need strengthening.
“DA is a unique learning experience for both the parent and child which brings to light the many areas where successful learning has happened already, and points to the most effective ways to continue the journey. Dynamic Assessment is a positive experience for the child. Learners usually emerge from the assessment with more confidence in their learning, optimism that they are not stuck in their challenges, and a sense of hope for their future. DA gives parents information as to how their child learns best, where learning is fragile and where it is strong. It is a valuable step in making brain changes that will bring your child to a place of solid success as a learner." -DA assessor
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM A DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT?
Consider assessment if your child is experiencing learning difficulties that have been occurring over time (where a pattern exists), in order to give you greater insight into what the causes may be.
It is also helpful to the parent who wishes to know more about how their child thinks, see areas of giftedness, and gain deeper perspective on existing strengths.
The minimum age for assessment is recommended to be no younger than eight years old. A Dynamic Assessment usually takes five hours, with breaks provided- more or less time may be needed. The length of the DA can be discussed with the assessor.
Parents are briefed as soon as the assessment is complete, and first impressions are shared by the assessor. The results of the assessment are then examined thoroughly at the assessor’s office, and a written report is provided to parents. Recommendations are made and follow up support is offered.
It is strongly recommended that parents attend a Mediated Learning parent-training workshop before proceeding with an assessment for their child. Please discuss this with the assessor or program manager when making an appointment for assessment.
Assessments take place in Edmonton, Mundare, Derwent and Calgary, and may be arranged in other locations. This can be discussed when making an appointment.
WISDOM students are eligible for an educational subsidy that covers most of the assessment cost. The pre-subsidized rate is $1200, but WISDOM parents pay only $500.
For more information or to arrange an assessment appointment, contact Lora at lora@wisdomhomeschooling.com, or call the WISDOM office.
See Also: What's the Difference between Psycho-educational Assessment and Dynamic Assessment?
Mediated Learning Program Manager
Programs
Computers for Schools is a Provincial Program that WISDOM takes part in, which allows us to provide free, refurbished and donated computers and tablets to our families. *Note: a shipping & handling charge of $40 will apply for each computer. Contact Jennifer to get on the list.
History Plus, formerly known as History Alive, is available at a 10% discount through their customized WISDOM landing page.
IXL is personalized learning with a comprehensive curriculum for junior kindergarten to grade 12 in Math and English. Find out more at ca.ixl.com. WISDOM's discounted rate is $20 per license per year, renewing September 1. Purchase your license in the WISDOM web shop.
Learn basic coding concepts, explore infinite worlds and build everything from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles. Learn more at education.minecraft.net. WISDOM's discounted price is $10 per child per year, renewing September 1. Purchase your license in the WISDOM web shop.
Resources
Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) is the governing body that oversees amateur athletics in high schools for the province of Alberta. Through ASAA, WISDOM high school students may be eligible to join local high school sports teams or compete in track and field and wrestling, etc. Email Lora Cardinal to find out more.
Facebook – WISDOM has a number of private Facebook groups for our families. (When you click join to any of these pages, please answer the verification questions.) Email terry@wisdomhomeschooling. com for more information.
- WISDOM Home Schooling - main group with the most members and discussion.
- WISDOM Home Schooling – High School & Beyond - Home schooling through high school support and inspiration
- WISDOM Support Group: Learning Challenges - A place to ask questions, find solutions, and to network with other parents of neuro-diverse learners.
- WISDOM Home Schooling Buy/Sell/Swap - This is a page where parents can sell, buy or swap new or used curriculum
LearnAlberta.ca is an Alberta Education resource which is available to WISDOM families. Various education and teaching resources are available on this website. Email the Office to get access.
Microsoft 365 / Office 365 – Collaborate for free with online versions of Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and OneNote. Save documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online. The WISDOM price? FREE. Email Jennifer to sign up.
Pen Pal Club – To join the Club, please have your child send a short letter of introduction (like those posted in the WISDOM Family Magazine) to the WISDOM Office, along with a note giving parental permission. Email Janice or mail WISDOM a letter. Once WISDOM has parental permission, your letter will be printed in the next WISDOM magazine. Any WISDOM student that wants to write your child will mail the initial letter to the WISDOM Office and the Office will mail the letter to your child. Once your child receives your letter, then the Pen Pal Exchange is complete and both students can mail letters back and forth as desired.
Prayer List – The WISDOM Office prays for its families every weekday around 3:00 pm. If you have a prayer request for your family or homeschool, please email Terry.
Scholastic Letters may be requested by parents who wish to buy directly from the Scholastic.com book flyers. Contact Terry for more info.
SOLARO is study help and exam prep for grades 3-12 for Alberta. It has all grades and all subjects. WISDOM students can have access to 10 subjects at a time.
Click here for more information and to order.
Student & Parent / Teacher ID – WISDOM offers this resource for free to our families. There is a digital and paper version. Email Jennifer for more information.
SuccessMaker - for Grades K-8 reading and math. It does it all to make every student more successful. This is “true” adaptive learning for intervention, differentiation, and personalization. Every student interaction adjusts instruction in real time to real learning needs. SuccessMaker® delivers tutorials, practice, challenge, and remediation. WISDOM price: $75 per student. Order in our online shop.
Terry’s TLC Newsletter has a variety of links and monthly offers for WISDOM Families. It includes WISDOM Mail Exchange Updates, Current Draw information for WISDOM parents and students, the best educational links of the month and more. For more information, email Terry.
WISDOM Game Day Events - WISDOM is pleased to offer a virtual opportunity for children, teens and parents to gather together online to play board- and card-games. As always, parents need to supervise their children when they are online. For more information, see the WISDOM Website under Events.
WISDOM Kindergarten Connections is a brand new short monthly email for any WISDOM parent who has a child in Preschool or Kindergarten. It will have easy learning tips, giveaways and contests, Busy Bag ideas, as well as links of encouragement, ideas and support. For more information, email Terry.
WISDOM’s eNewsletter goes out to WISDOM Families once a month or more with current information on events, deadlines or other offerings. Not sure you’re getting them? Check your Spam folder, first, and search your email for anything from office@wisdomhomeschooling.com or tobylauren@wisdomhomeschooling.com. If you are not receiving the emails, email the Office and ask to be added to the eNewsletter list.
WISDOM Events (workshops and gatherings) are an important part of the WISDOM experience for their families. You can register on the WISDOM website or email Marlane for more info.
WISDOM Mail Exchange Events. WISDOM is hosting numerous mail exchanges between WISDOM students and parents – most are for the cost of a postage stamp. Some of the exchanges have been Happy Mail Exchanges, Recipe Exchanges, a Bookmark Exchange, a Seed Packet exchange and more. It is a great way to make connections between students and families! Email Terry for more information.
Study Prep & Evaluation
Canadian Test of Basic Skills - Revised (CTBS-R) measures student achievement and growth in general subject areas for Grades 1 through 12. Results offer grade-level average, national percentile and stanine. WISDOM offers this resource for families for $10 fee. You may order it every year or as desired. Contact Peter for more information.
The Classic Learning Test (CLT) is a post-secondary entrance exam, created as an alternative to the SAT. In addition, there is a CLT 8 for students in grade 8 or 9, and the CLT 10 for students in grades 10 or 11. These tests focus on numeracy and literacy, and are a useful evaluation tool which can be conveniently accessed from home. The CLT is accepted as a high school completion exam for entrance to a number of universities and colleges, many of whom offer scholarships to these students. WISDOM families receive a discount on all CLTs. Find out more here and view test dates and register for CLT tests here.
ExamBank.com is a resource for Alberta students in all grades. It offers online study resources and practice exams related directly to the Alberta curriculum. Call or email the Office to receive a username and password.
The Key Study Guide (through Castlerock) is an Alberta curriculum-specific resource that helps students prepare for their school tests, final exams, and standardized assessments. THE KEY is comprised of three main components: Unit Review, Unit Test, and Exam Preparation. Each booklet for each subject is available through WISDOM for a discount of $20. Email Christian for more information.
QuestA+ is an online access point for provincial assessment. It has access to field tests, diploma exams, provincial achievement tests and other secure assessment. Any WISDOM parent can access it.
SNAP Workbooks provide complete explanations of curriculum concepts. Examples are designed to take students from guided learning to independent practice. Parents can assign the even-numbered problems for each topic as additional homework as their answers and solutions are not included in the SNAP Workbook. WISDOM Parents can order each booklet for each subject for a discounted price of $20 each. Email Christian to order and for more information.
The F.O.R.M. Curriculum is a fitness curriculum for teaching students how to build a solid foundation in health.
Functional Fitness
Optimal Nourishment
Rest and Recovery
Multiplied Maintenance
Are you aware of another resource that is missing from this list?
Please email Terry or give us a call.
The Difference Between Psycho-Educational (Static) Assessment and the Learning Propensity Assessment Device (Dynamic Assessment)
John Hoekstra
There are four main differences that we will examine and contrast between a standard Psych-Ed evaluation and the Dynamic Assessment (DA) that we provide. These are:
- Assessment Tools
- Assessment Situation
- Product verses Process Orientation
- Interpretation of the Outcomes
- Assessment Tools
Static Assessment
The tools of the static assessment are built with the aim of examining a child’s present levels of knowledge, expertise, and skill. It is expected that the child will respond spontaneously according to the criteria of age and developmental norms that have been established. The tools are not intended, and are not capable of, showing the cause or the lack of capability detected in the test. Static tests are constructed in such a way that no learning will take place. The examiner in no way will intervene to assist the child with answers; doing so will invalidate the results.
Dynamic Assessment
Dynamic Assessment tools are constructed in a way to include situations that are openly intended for learning. A DA is based on the existence of a learning process, because this is the process we wish to evaluate. In other words: we evaluate the child’s learning processes while they are in a learning situation. The varied DA tools enable the examiner to analyze the propensity of the child to learn and to think, and then analyzes the changes that have taken place in their thinking ability following the examiners intervention. The DA is not concerned with informational questions that the child may know; it is concerned with examining their thinking processes.
- Assessment Situation
Static Assessment
In a static assessment the role of the examiner is to look for what is "fixed, permanent, and unchanging" in the child. The need is to create a standardization of the test conditions in order to establish its validity and reliability beyond time and the variations in the examinee. In static assessment, no action must be performed that might cause change in a child; the examiner is required to be passive and remote. The examiner must avoid giving any kind of hint to the child, even steering clear of giving feedback about functioning. The format is: test, record.
Dynamic Assessment
In DA there is no requirement for standardization. There are consistent rules and uniform, planned strategies for performing the diagnosis, but because we are comparing the child to themselves alone we do not need (or desire) to make the instructions of the assessment and the interaction between the child and the examiner sterile and standard. The format is: pretest, mediation/teach, retest. In DA the examiner will do everything in their power to create in the child the experience of modifiability. The examiner is in fact an active and involved mediator/teacher. The examiner is interested in the child’s success no less than the child is. Therefore, DA is most always a positive experience for the child.
- Product verses Process Orientation
Static Assessment
Focus is on the outcomes of the tests (product). The examiner wants to know what the child knows and what they do not know, what the child achieved within an allocated time and what the child didn’t succeed in achieving in the allocated time. Even if the child knows the answer but didn’t arrive at it in the time allocated, this information is not significant from the standpoint of the examiner. The child is there in order to answer questions, not in order to ask questions.
Dynamic Assessment
DA does not produce or emphasize numerical scores. Focus is on the process that the child undergoes in the course of the assessment. We ask the questions: What is the process that made the child succeed or fail? What is the process through which the child can be modified? How can we bring about change in him/her? We are looking for signs of change, representing differences between pre-testing and post-testing. We teach a principle and want to know how the child will use it (apply it in their thinking) in a new situation that demands the ability to adapt and change (be modified/demonstrate modifiability). Questions are allowed, and in fact encouraged, as these can be indicators of change in the child’s thinking.
- Interpretation of the Outcomes
Static Assessment
In static assessment the outcomes of the tests are summed up in quantitative terms; the number of correct answers as against the number of incorrect answers. The results are then analyzed statistically, with the examinee then given a placement or number relative to (the norms of) the results of examinees considered to be of a comparable nature (e.g. age of examinee). The norms are statistically derived indices such as averages, percentiles, standard scores, etc. from previous test results of other examinees of comparable nature (age).
Dynamic Assessment
The process that the child undergoes during a DA enables the examiner to gain an understanding of what had previously been poorly utilized or inaccessible to the child, and the extent that it has become incorporated within the repertoire of thinking skills. We examine not only the answers chosen by the child but also the reasons for the answers that were chosen. We examine the thinking process behind the choice of one answer or another. As a result, not only are we able to locate the high points of functioning but also the weaker points of functioning. According to these points we conclude what lies beneath the surface – the thinking abilities that we must strengthen or develop. These are the buds of change, so to speak, and in them we see a confirmation of the child’s ability to continue to be changed (modified). With the buds of change identified, mediation of them can continue, as does the process of modifying the child’s thinking and propensity to learn.
Based on a summary of Beyond Smarter: Mediated Learning and the Brain's Capacity for Change by Louis H. Falik and Reuven Feuerstein
For more information or to arrange an assessment appointment, contact Lora at lora@wisdomhomeschooling.com, or call the WISDOM office.
Mental health resources are now available to home schoolers! Open Parachute was initially developed for use in schools, but they partnered with AISCA and home schooling stakeholders (including WISDOM) to create a format that puts parents totally in the driver's seat for their children. You create an account and choose which modules to have your child work through.
Watch the introductory video below, then select 'registration for home education families' and follow the prompts.
Registration for Home Education Families
For a longer introduction, check out this 30 minute information session from AISCA:
Registration for Home Education Families
This workshop is intended to assist students who are preparing for the written portion of the English 30 Diploma exam. Students will learn to decode essay prompts and utilize effective essay formatting. Applicants need to have advanced writing experience.
We cover the two essay types of the written portion of the exam: the Critical/Analytical Response to Literature and the Personal Response. This 6-week program covers each of the 7 scoring categories of the exam to help students achieve the highest possible mark. Students meet for up to 90 minutes, twice a week, with guided writing practice and feedback. Marks for essays and mock-exam in this workshop may be used toward the ELA course challenge mark.
Workshop acceptance based upon application.
What happens after I apply for: Essay Skills: Write Your Best English 30 Diploma Exam?
Based entirely upon the application essay that you submit, your level of “readiness” will be determined:
- If your essay contains the depth and level of thought necessary for the style of literary analysis, but is missing the length or structure required (or vice versa), you are ready for the Essay Skills workshop. You will be notified of this, and will then receive a welcome email approximately one week before the workshop’s start date containing everything you need for the first class (including a reading assignment). If you have not received the welcome email one week prior to the start date, please email Kathy.
- If your essay is missing both the depth or level of thought AND the length or structure required for the diploma style essay, you are not yet ready to join the workshop. You will be notified of your options that will prepare you for the workshop you applied for, or one at a future date. It may mean you first need some help learning what the diploma requirements are and/or possibly some more practice with that style of writing. If it has been more than 10 days and you have not been contacted, please email Kathy.
This 6-week workshop moves along very quickly, containing lessons to cover all 7 categories of the government rubrics for two assignments. Students must demonstrate readiness in order to succeed, both in the workshop, and on the diploma exam.
Note: The workshop is for WISDOM students challenging English 30, so these students are given priority for acceptance to the workshop. Students enrolled outside of The Gilbertine Institute may be accepted at the non-subsidized rate of $450.
Book tutoring
- Initial Consultation hour for WISDOM students: $25
WISDOM subsidizes $50 of the Initial Consultation and families pay $25.- Tutoring hours: $65 per hour after Initial Consultation. Option for group tutorials to reduce cost.
- Pay via home school funding or pay CRAMapple Ventures directly.
Join us for an inspiring conference designed to empower parents and students as you navigate homeschooling through high school and beyond! Discover potential routes to your adult life, backed by compelling data that supports your choice to home school through high school.
We'll share strategies for achieving excellence in your homeschooling journey. Hear from experts, educators, and successful homeschool graduates. Visit our exhibit hall and engage with post-secondary institutions, career representatives and learn about essential life skills. Connect with fellow homeschoolers, meet the WISDOM team, and get answers to your questions!
